Investment And Security Tribunal Workers Declare Indefinite Strike

From left: General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Technical, Recreational Employees (AUPTRE), Comrade Oliver Briggs; AUPTRE Vice Chairman in Investment and Security Tribunal (IST), Comrade Doyin Oyesile; and the AUPTRE Chairman, IST Chapter, Comrade Ikechukwu Ogu, during a protest by the chapter over non-payment of their allowances, in Abuja on in January

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE) branch of the Investment and Security Tribunal (IST) has commenced an indefinite strike.

AUPCTRE-IST Branch Secretary, Mr Diepiribo Briggs, spoke with newsmen at IST office during a protest and picketing of the branch on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the strike would not be called off until the union’s demands were met.

The union had in January embarked on a warning strike over alleged infractions such as discriminatory payment of staff allowances, non-adherence to Public Procurement Act 2017, staff promotion arrears and non-adherence to due process in recruitment.

Also listed were intimidation and victimisation of staff, high-handedness, impunity among others.

“ Issues of staff promotion arrears are not yet addressed as he was directed by the Minister of Finance. He recruited in new staff in December last year without following due process and the Minister asked him to reverse it and he has not done that.

“The recruitment should be reversed; discriminatory payment of allowances should be corrected, promotion examination should be conducted to clear the backlog of same.

“We will not call off this strike until all our demands are met,’’ he said.

Comrade Aliyu Maradun, Chairman, FCT AUPCTRE, who led the picketing of the office, pledged to stand with the staff of IST until all their demands are met. NAN